


The Note

by KrysKrossZee, WolfSquish



Series: Pet Project [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Babysitting, Fluff and Angst, Hangover, Harry Potter Next Generation, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, POV Male Character, POV Third Person, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:21:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23146111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrysKrossZee/pseuds/KrysKrossZee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfSquish/pseuds/WolfSquish
Summary: After a night on the town, where Lysander had definitely had far too much to drink, he wakes up to find that he suddenly has more responsibilities than he bargained on.
Series: Pet Project [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663804
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8
Collections: HN Siriusly Amazing Writing Challenge





	The Note

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part of an on-going project that myself and SethWren have been working on for a few years now. It's Next Generation and it's my baby. All of the Weasley and Potter children, as well as others will eventually be featured. This fic however focuses on one of the sons of Luna Lovegood and Rolf Scamander who is best friends with Alice, the non-canon middle child of Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott.
> 
> I am actually so pleased to be able to start to share this series with other people so I hope you all enjoy it! This however is a work in process, so this first chapter will be changed around as there's content missing from the middle, and also the ending needs finishing.
> 
> I'd like to thank all those Hermione's Nook for giving me their encouragement and the little pushes here and there to actually write and post this! And especially to Mrs_Poncey for betaing! Thank you!

Lysander blinked slowly as he rolled over in the bed. If his head hadn’t been pounding so hard then he probably would have noticed just how empty the space beside him was. His head felt like it was about to explode and his mouth tasted like the bottom of an ashtray. He definitely felt like crap today. He’d gone out last night with Ji, like in the old days. He knew it wasn’t - they weren’t in school any longer and none of the others were there with them. To compensate, he and Ji had drank far too much If he didn’t already feel bad in general, he’d have felt bad about it,

Ji had needed a pick-me-up and Lysander didn’t know how else to help him. Out of his depth–his area of expertise being hair and dancing, it was rare that anyone ever wanted help with that– so, he suggested drinking to help heal Ji's broken heart. After all, it helped numb his own many times before. 

He had no intentions of getting up; until he heard the baby screaming. A reminder that real life stopped for nothing, not even a much-needed catch up with a friend. He groaned as he opened his eyes, frowning when he realised that something was blocking his vision.

He grabbed the piece of paper hanging from his forehead, and after rubbing his eyes, he read the words on it.

‘Gone to the shop - back soon. Ali.’

He groaned as he realised it meant he definitely needed to get up now. Caden might not have been his child, but she had left him in charge. He still didn’t get why Alice did this, especially considering that he had absolutely no experience with babies and did not understand why the small child was crying. 

He crumpled the note up and threw it across the room before he made his way over to the little boy and lifted him out.

“Hey there, kiddo. Your mum’s just popped out. She’ll be back soon.” He whispered as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed with Caden in his arms. Part of him said that Caden was probably hungry, but he had never listened properly when she had explained to him how to heat a bottle or what sort of food the boy ate.

He’d only been back from Russia five times now, and it was never normally his job to look after the baby. Alice rarely let Caden out of her sight, let alone leave the flat without him.

Something told him that this was actually his punishment for not taking her out with them last night, but it wasn't as if she could just up and go like that. She would have to find a babysitter and she didn't trust anyone, other than Enzo who had other plans, enough to babysit for her yet - except for him, apparently.

He hummed as he rocked the screaming baby and realised that wasn't working. He swallowed thickly as he moved into the kitchen as he somehow supported the baby, too find a bottle and formula in the cupboard. The blow came when he discovered that the milk was in powder form.

"This,” he mumbled to himself “isn't right." As he scanned the box for instructions. This was his punishment for not listening to Alice properly. Her punishments were cruel, but he knew they were deserved. His only option now was to ask Enzo. Enzo lived there, ey was sure to know how to make a bottle, right?

Without really considering that Enzo was probably sleeping after a long night, Lysander knocked on eir bedroom door. "Hey, you up?" He called through the door, chewing on his lip as he tried to settle the kid.

* * *

  
  


"So, you got my note?" Alice asked as she let herself back into the flat where Lysander was now lying on the sofa with Caden on his chest.

"You mean the one you taped to my head?" He asked, raising an eyebrow slightly, though he didn't move anymore than that. Terrified of waking the little boy up again. "Yeah, I got it."

"Yeah.." Alice moved to sit on the arm of the chair by his feet. "I… I meant to be back before either of you woke up. Sorry."

Lysander couldn't help but frown at the way she spoke. Something was off, something must have happened, but he didn't know how to ask. He supposed that he could just come right out and ask, but he also knew that sometimes it was best not to push her.

"Don't sweat it." He said instead, as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. She never used to keep things from him, but now she was keeping a lot of things from him. He tried not to take it to heart -–she hid things, including an entire person, from everyone. But he was meant to be her best friend.

Alice was silent for a little while, and Lysander let his eyes close. His head was still pounding and he guessed that while stuck here on the sofa, he might as well get a bit of shuteye. She'd open up when she was ready, he was sure.

Lysander next opened his eyes when the baby on his chest stirred. He looked up to see that Alice had left again. He just about suppressed a sigh as he sat himself up.

"Alicat?" He called as Caden grabbed onto his fingers, seemingly happy for the time being and Lysander couldn't help but smile a little at that. At least someone was content, but his plan wasn't to spend the entire weekend with the kid. He didn't really have a plan though, he supposed, except to spend time with Alice.

He stood up and headed through to her room where he found her curled up on her bed. He lay Caden down on his mat before sitting down next to her.

"Ali?" He asked gently when he saw that she wasn't actually asleep. "Want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" Alice mumbled, not looking at him, but Lysander counted it as a win she hadn't told him to shut up. 

"What happened?" He pressed, though he kept his tone soft. The last thing he wanted was to spook her. He'd seen what she was capable of when scared, and he didn't want to lose her again.

"We ran out of coffee." Alice said, as if that explained what was going on with her or why she was gone so long. At least he now understood why she had left in the first place. Coffee was pretty much what kept her alive.

He nodded, and rubbed a gentle hand over her back. She'd open up in her own time, he knew that. He still counted himself lucky that he was even part of her life when she was still avoiding pretty much everyone else they knew.

He'd been the one to tell Ji about Caden, and that was a complete accident. He was wasted, as usual, and let it slip. Alice had been furious, but as far as he’s concerned, the more people knew about Caden, the better.

He understood that she didn't want her parents to know, and he couldn't guarantee that they wouldn't find out, but he really didn't think it was a good idea to keep Caden hidden. The boy was a delight, and even though children terrified Lysander, he loved Caden. He wanted only the best for him, and that included a loving family.

He knew Alice was managing, but he also knew there was only so long she could keep going on just managing. He couldn't be there with her all the time. He had the ballet company and commitments in Russia, not to mention Queenie. Enzo, while great, had eir studies and a crazy schedule. At least Ji was never far if she needed someone, when they couldn’t be there..

Sometimes he wished that she would talk to her sister, but he also knew that if he dared suggest anything like it, he'd be frog marched out of the building. 

With a sigh, he lay down next to her and wrapped his arms around her gently. He was worried about her, and that would not change anytime soon.

"Next time, wake me up." He said as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder and let his eyes close again for a moment. 


End file.
